


Spider Veins

by LayzDayz



Series: Black and Blue and Red All Over [2]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Happy Hogan is a Good Bro, Hurt Peter Parker, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Protective Happy Hogan, Protective Tony Stark, dying, poisoned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:41:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27670828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LayzDayz/pseuds/LayzDayz
Summary: Endgame Spoilers.Peter is poisoned after a fight and knows it is slowly killing him, but doesn't tell anyone. It will take some encouragement from beyond the grave for him to take care of himself.If it looks familiar it is, reposting story as series.
Relationships: Happy Hogan & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Black and Blue and Red All Over [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2023364
Comments: 6
Kudos: 48





	Spider Veins

**Author's Note:**

> This is the story that got me into Spider Man fanfiction. Spider Man was barely on my radar till right before COVID started and I had a dream about this story basically. I tried to find similar fanfiction that was already written and read any great things, but nothing really hit the spot. So I decided to write it myself. Four months later and several stories written and I'm hooked and obsessed. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Feel free to leave a constructive review.

Peter stared into the mirror, his shirt hanging from his hands. He remembered when he had first woken up after being bit by the spider... he couldn’t stop flexing in front of the mirror. This was different. The look in his eyes wasn’t one of wonder. His jaw clenched together as his fingers traced the black veins up to the spot on his shoulder where he had been cut by what he assumed was a normal dagger. He rotated his shoulder and winced. It hurt... it hurt a lot, and it was spreading.

She had told him afterwards that he was as good as dead.

A knock followed the by the door opening startled him. He threw his shirt over his shoulder and folded his arms turning around.

“Hey Peter,” Aunt May called not even looking up at him but down at something in her hands. “Do you want Chinese tonight?”

Peter vaguely wondered what had happened to the meal Aunt May had been planning on making.

“Uh... sure... whatever sounds good,” he said, trying to hide his concern.

“Okay,” she smiled at him and he gave her a small smile back. She frowned. “Everything okay?” she asked, looking him up and down.

“Yeah... just tired, didn’t sleep too well,” he amended.

If he had been hoping to placate her it didn’t work. Instead she looked even more concerned. “Another nightmare?” she asked walking closer. Peter resisted the urge to step away, she would know something was up then.

“No, just insomnia,” he said. He had never lied so well to be honest. Lying always made him nervous, in a way he had been relieved when she found out he was Spider Man. Now that he spoke calmly and met her eyes strongly.

“Okay,” she said, reaching a hand to brush his hair back. Her hand suddenly rested on his forehead. “Are you a little warm?”

Peter shrugged, repressing the wince. “I feel fine.”

“Okay, well, if you’re not feeling well call me, I’ll bring you home early,” she stated.

“Thanks, Aunt May.” Peter said honestly.

She smiled and then disappeared through the door, closing it behind her. Peter turned back from to the mirror pulling the shirt away again. Had the blackness grown?

~.~.~.~

“What’s up with you?” MJ asked. Peter looked up from the food he had been eating... or not been eating.

“What?” he laughed.

“You haven’t touched your food,” Ned spoke now. “And you’re really quiet.”

“Yeah normally you eat lunch like there’s no tomorrow,” MJ responded as she stuck a spoonful of pudding in her mouth.

“Just tired,” he said, reusing his old excuse. “Hey, I might miss a few days of school this week,” he glanced around and then leaned in conspiratorially, “Spider Man stuff,” he whispered. “Can you guys take notes?”

Ned grinned, Spider Man never got old to him. MJ just squinted suspiciously. “What’s going on?” she asked.

“Not sure yet,” Peter said, forcing a bite of food into his mouth. His stomach turned at the taste but he managed to keep it from his face. “I’ll let you guys know when I know more.”

“Sure...” MJ stated, not convinced.

“Really, everything’s fine,” Peter lied.

~.~.~.~

Peter honestly didn’t know what to do. He probably should call Happy... but was Happy even his handler anymore now that Tony was gone? If this had happened a year ago... wait... 6 years ago? Whatever. If this had happened before the snap, he would have called Tony immediately.

“Uh, Mr. Stark, ever heard of spider veins?”

Peter laughed half-heartedly at himself, or who he used to be.

Tony would have helped him figure it out. But Tony was gone. Peter was left on his own and the poison was spreading fast, it had started crawling down his arm and chest, his neck was a little stiffer, his lungs a little tighter. He sighed and laid back on the roof. He was so tired honestly, he didn’t even want to fight. Maybe he could just sleep up here and never wake up.

“So that’s it? You’re just going to give up?” The voice nearly knocked him from his precarious perch on one of the tallest skyscrapers in Manhattan. His head whipped around, wondering who the hell could be up this high.

The blood ran from his face.

“M-Mr. Stark?”

“Kid…I’m dead… call me Tony.” Tony Stark in his Iron Man costume lay stretched out next to Peter, not looking at him.

“How…” Peter’s head whipped around. “How are you here?” Tony’s eyes met his. “Are you a ghost?” Peter asked quietly, like if he breathed to heavy he might blow him away.

Tony laughed. “Uh no… sorry kid. I’m just in your head, and can I just say, it’s a mess in here.”

“Why am I seeing you?” Peter asked, almost afraid of the answer. “The poison?”

“Sure, yeah, the poison,” Tony murmured. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Peter lamented.

“Anything would be a start.”

“I’m tired,” Peter said, though he realized he was starting to sound like a whiny child.

“I’m going to pretend that wasn’t an excuse,” he scooted a little closer while still maintaining his normal Tony Stark distance. Peter looked him over, his hair wasn’t white like it had been last time he saw him, this was the Tony Stark he really knew. “Listen, kid... you have to try something.”

“Like what?” Peter asked.

“Did you ask Karen what’s happening?” Tony asked.

“If you’re in my head, you know I did.”

“Humor me.”

“She said it was a foreign substance.” He replied. “That she couldn’t identify it.”

Peter, who are you talking to? Karen asked.

Peter sighed... now he was talking to two voices no one else could hear.

“Karen can the poison cause hallucinations?” he asked, instead of answering her question.

“Since I do not know what the substance is, I cannot predict how it will affect you,” Karen responded. “However, it is not dissipating, only getting stronger. It is causing muscle weakness, fever and moving towards your vital organs. If it reaches them, I can only predict that they will start shutting down.”

“Thanks, Karen.” Peter mumbled, pulling off his mask. He turned to Ghost Tony. “She said-”

“I got it,” Tony said holding up a hand. “So, what’s the first step?”

“Take a nap.”

Tony rolled his eyes. “You can rest when you’re dead,” he joked morbidly.

Peter sighed. “Identify the substance.”

“EDITH can help you with that.”

Peter nodded.

“What about Happy?” Tony asked.

“What about him?” Peter responded drearily.

“He would want to help.”

“Yeah...” Peter murmured.

“Listen, kid, I hate to pull out the guilt trip but... aw screw it- I died so that you could come back and live. Don’t waste my sacrifice. I left behind a daughter and the love of my life, so that you wouldn’t leave behind anyone, and so that you could continue saving lives.”

“You didn’t do it just for me,” Peter murmured.

“But I wouldn’t have done it, if it weren’t for you.”

Peter had tears in his eyes now, so they were blurry when he met Ghost Tony’s. Somehow, he believed that. “Alright,” he whispered.

~.~.~.~

Peter, under different circumstances, would have been ecstatic to be in this high tech a lab. But he took to his task very seriously. Happy had been worried about him, could tell he wasn’t his normal self.

“I’ll get us some smoothies,” he offered. “Promise not to blow anything up?”

Peter chuckled weakly and nodded. He was glad Happy was leaving, it would be hard to explain to him why he was taking blood samples and swabs from the cut on his shoulder, which was now oozing just slightly with black blood.

“You should tell him.” Ghost Tony said.

Peter shook his head. “Not until I know more.”

“Just like you lied to your friends?” Tony asked holding two beakers up to his eyes, making them look bug eyed.

Peter frowned… were the beakers hallucinations too? “I would have told them.”

“When? When you were dead?” he asked.

Peter sighed. He was tired, and honestly cold, his muscles were sore, and he just didn’t have the energy to argue with Tony… or with himself… or whatever.

“That’s it,” Tony’s voice and a happy beeping woke him from his doze as he had been waiting on results. Peter stared at the compound, not recognizing the seven-syllable word, that he didn’t even want to try and pronounce.

“Now what?” Peter asked. He was smart, but not even he could find the antidote on his own.

“Now it’s time to tell Happy,” Tony stated. “He has resources.”

“Mr. Stark... if I tell Happy, he’ll tell Aunt May,” Peter complained.

“If you tell Happy what?” The voice was much more tangible and definitely not Tony. Peter spun around on the swivel stool he had been sitting on, almost falling off in the process. He gulped when he saw Happy standing there with two smoothies in his hand. He put them down on the nearest available surface as he looked around.

“Pete, who are you talking to?” he asked.

“No one,” Peter said nervously. “Blue-tooth.”

“What’s that?” Happy asked pointing at Peter’s hand which was currently pointing at his very blue-toothless ear. Peter glanced at his hand and almost cursed, the black had gone all the way down to the back of his hand, branching out like a black vine.

“Tattoo?” Why did it come out more like a question than an actual response.

Happy walked forward carefully and took Peter’s hand in his, pushing up the sleeve of the lab coat. The raised black line was definitely not a tattoo, he pushed it up to Peter’s elbow where it branched out more.

“Take this off, and the shirt,” Happy ordered. Peter opened his mouth to protest. “Now.” Happy said firmly, with just an edge of panic in his voice.

Peter sighed, cursing himself for always giving into people he could easily overpower just because they were older and he was respectful.

He pulled the lab coat off. “I...” he stopped as he grabbed the edge of his shirt.

“The shirt, Peter.” Happy ordered.

Peter winced as the shirt went over his head. Happy didn’t gasp, or curse, or say anything and Peter was afraid to meet his eyes. When he finally did he saw Happy looking him over with wide eyes. Peter glanced down to his chest, the poison having spread almost to his abs, and he didn’t even know what his back looked like.

He shifted awkwardly as Happy circled him.

“When?” Happy asked.

“About two days ago.”

“The woman with the black sword,” Happy stated.

“It was a dagger actually,” Peter corrected.

“Whatever...” Happy stated finishing his circle. “Does it hurt?”

“No,” Peter said as he started to put his shirt back on, but he sucked in some air between his teeth at the movement. “Yes,” he admitted.

“Tell me that’s why you’re here,” Happy asked.

Peter nodded.

“And ‘Mr. Stark’?”

Peter grimaced. “I talk to him sometimes,” Peter lied. “Especially when I’m having a problem.”

Happy’s eyes softened. “I miss him too, kid.” They were silent for an awkward moment. “What are we going to do about this?” he asked motioning to the shoulder.

Peter grabbed the EDITH glasses from the table and slipped them on. “EDITH have you ever seen anything like this?”

“Affirmative.” EDITH responded, her voice coming through the computer speakers. “It bears similarities to a chemical weapon used for terrorism across different countries in Europe. Although that was airborne, this one is topical. It should also be noted that the victims of the poison died within hours.”

“Hours?” Happy choked.

“That makes sense, airborne would go straight to the lungs and then heart which would kill them much faster, plus with my healing abilities the poison is moving a lot slower.”

“Is there any chance your healing abilities will take care of it completely?” Happy asked.

“Unlikely,” EDITH responded for Peter. “The strain is too concentrated and aggressive.”

“So how can we slow it down?” Peter asked. “And how do we cure it?”

“Mr. Stark was aware of these attacks and created an anti-toxin to combat the effects. It was never produced in the United States, however.”

“So, we need to travel abroad again,” Peter groaned. “How can we keep the poison from spreading until we get there?”

“Beta-blockers should slow the heart rate and reduce the spread of the poison, but they will also most likely impede your abilities.”

“We’ll take the jet,” Happy announced. “It will be faster. Where do we need to go?”

“Paris, France has the largest supply of the anti-toxin.”

“I’ll grab my stuff,” Peter said.

“I’ll make a call.” Happy replied and started walking out of the room. He stopped and turned back at the door. “Pete?”

“Yeah,” Peter asked, turning tired eyes to his friend.

“It’s going to be okay,” Happy said. Peter smiled and nodded.

“Thanks, Happy.”

The older man slipped out of the room, leaving Peter to his thoughts… and Ghost Tony.

“See kid?” Tony asked.

“See what?” Peter asked, not looking at him.

“You can do this without me… Your stronger than you believe.”

Peter scrunched up his face in disapproval. “That’s super corny.”

Ghost Tony rolled his eyes. “Whatever, it’s true. You have friends. Friends with resources, there’s no reason for you to always be on your own… and there’s absolutely no reason for you to give up.”

Tears came to Peter’s eyes again and he angrily wiped them away. God, he was so emotional. Maybe it was a side effect of the poison.

“They’re not you,” Peter said.

Tony smirked. “Hey, no one’s perfect… well… except me.”

Peter laughed through his tears. “I really miss you.”

Tony’s smirk fell from his face and he looked at Peter like he had only looked at him once before. That day on the battlefield when Peter had seen him for the first time in years. The image was burned on Peter’s brain but no matter how much he studied it he couldn’t figure out what it was.

He knew now.

Love.

“I miss you too, kid,” Tony said. He suddenly wrapped his arms around Peter. Peter could feel it… not really… not physically, but, as he closed his eyes, he could feel it.

When he opened his eyes, Tony was gone, but as Happy bustled into the room behind him, Peter knew… he wasn’t alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally this was going to be longer, following Happy and Peter as they tried to track down the antidote, but I got really overwhelmed by that. I feel like this story got the message across that I wanted. The villain is completely made up, I thought about using the scorpion, but when I started writing him in it changed too much of the story so I went back to my nameless she-villain.


End file.
